The Making of an Anzac
A.I.F. Veterans Show Prospective Recruits What a Howitzer Looks Like
The big 105-mm. gun is on display outside the Town Hall in Melbourne to stimulate the drive for
enlistments. Australian ordnance factories have grown enormously since the war began. Hundreds of
workers served in the last World War and now are too old for active duty (page 433).
men, returned soldiers of World War I were
represented in all departments. The superin
tendent himself was in the Royal Flying
Corps in England during the last war.
We watched workmen assembling Wirra
way bombers and Wackett trainers. The older
men had seen active service in the First World
War. Although engaged in "reserved" (es
sential) occupations, the younger men were
just as apt to leave good jobs to enlist as
their comrades did before them.
Following up a decentralization-of-indus
tries policy, the Commonwealth encourages
and furthers establishments in remote dis
tricts.
From 1900 to 1938 a small town (call it
Casteel to save censor trouble) of about 1,500
souls existed somewhere in Australia.
"In the old days, back in 1938," said a
personnel inquest officer, "when Casteel had a
population of only 1,500, there were very few
shops, just one small hotel, and scattered
435